Owner-builders in Victoria
What the Building Act 1993 (Vic), its Regulations and the Building and Plumbing Commission set for building your own home.
What an owner-builder must meet
| The rule | In Victoria | The source's words |
|---|---|---|
| When a certificate of consent is needed | For work costing more than $20,000, the Act's amount where the regulations prescribe none (sections 25B(1) and 25B(2)) | “if an amount is not prescribed, $20 000.” Building Act 1993 (Vic), version 152 |
| An amount in the regulations | None: the Building Regulations 2018 prescribe no amount, so the Act's $20,000 applies | Searched for an amount prescribed for section 25B. Building Regulations 2018 (Vic), version 032 |
| What an owner-builder must know | The duties and responsibilities of an owner-builder set out in Schedule 2 of the Regulations (regulation 19; section 25E(1)(ab) of the Act) | “the knowledge of the duties and responsibilities of an owner-builder set out in Schedule 2 is prescribed.” Building Regulations 2018 (Vic), version 032 |
| How often | One house every five years, unless it is a small second dwelling | “an owner-builder can only build or renovate one house every five years” Building and Plumbing Commission, What is an owner-builder? |
| Selling within 6 years | Apply for a Notice of Cover and pay for Home Warranty cover first | “if you wish to sell the property within 6 years from completion of the work” Building and Plumbing Commission, What is an owner-builder? |
| Work you contract out | A contract with a builder for domestic building work over $10,000 must be in writing; a contract for one type of work only, such as electrical, plumbing, tiling, painting or plastering, is outside the Act (section 31(1)(a); regulations 6 and 7) | “A builder must not enter into a major domestic building contract unless the contract— (a) is in writing” Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 (Vic), version 094 |
Not legal advice — your contract's own terms matter too.
Variations in Victoria
- A builder's notice of a variation must describe it, say why it is needed, state its effect on the work and whether a permit variation is required, estimate any delay, and state its cost and effect on the contract price (section 37(1)).
- The builder must not give effect to the variation unless the owner gives a signed consent attached to a copy of the notice (section 37(2)).
The rest of Victoria's variation rules, and the form set to them: variations in Victoria.
Sources
- Building Act 1993 (Vic), version 152: sections 25B(1), 25B(2), 25E(1)(ab). Read 07/11/2026.
- Building Regulations 2018 (Vic), version 032: regulation 19. Read 07/11/2026.
- Building and Plumbing Commission, What is an owner-builder? (updated 30/09/2026). Read 07/11/2026.
- Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 (Vic), version 094: sections 31(1)(a), 37(1), 37(2). Read 27/09/2026, 07/10/2026 and 07/11/2026.
- Domestic Building Contracts Regulations 2017 (Vic), version 004: regulations 6, 7. Read 07/11/2026.
Ask your builder to put it in writing
- $9.90 to send it. Your builder signs free, and the preview PDF is free.
- Your builder signs from a link. We email it to them; they sign on a phone or a computer, no app or account. If they won't sign, you're told why.
- Follows your state's rules. It asks for what your state requires and prints its statement, and the PDF ends with a signing record: who signed, when, and from which device.
See a signed example (PDF)A fictional job, signed by both parties.